On February 2, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) hosted a reception during the annual Safari Club International (SCI) Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event gathered Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Members, Chairman’s Club members, and other representatives from the sportsmen’s conservation community.
CSF President Jeff Crane welcomed attendees. “I want to give a special thank you to Safari Club International. When CSF was founded back in 1989, one of its original supporters was SCI. They have been a tremendous partner of CSF for nearly 30 years.”
Representing the CSC was Co-Chair Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC) and Members Congressman Billy Long (MO) and Congressman Scott DesJarlais (TN).
“I started my involvement with CSF through the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses as a state legislator in South Carolina back in 2004. When I came to Congress, the first caucus I joined was the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, because it is important to me as well as my children that we are able to hunt and fish, and that there is public access and the resources we need to enjoy the outdoors. The CSC is the largest bipartisan caucus, and we are working hard to make sure your voice is heard on Capitol Hill,” said Rep. Duncan.
Chris Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association (NRA) Institute for Legislative Action, spoke about the work that the NRA does on behalf of hunters. “What groups like CSF, SCI, and NRA do together, bringing different tools to the table, really makes a big difference,” said Cox. “How we stand united and work together will really determine whether or not our kids and grandkids get to enjoy the same opportunities that we have. We need to look towards the future and fight for the hunt.”
Additional notable attendees included Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Greg Sheehan, and CSF Board Members Paul Babaz (SCI) and John Green (Crossroads Strategies, LLC).
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
